Knitting machine pattern mechanism



' Feb. 1, 1949.

KNITTING-MACHINE PATTERN MECHANISM Filed April 21, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

1 dwi fi TTOR NEYJ P. w. BRISTOW 2,460,487

Feb. I, 1949. P. w. BRISTOW 2,460,487

KNITTING MACHINE PATTERN MECHANISM Filed April 21, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 0 v v INVENTOR.

Pgl uZ W151i 5 Tow ATTOR%Y6 Feb. 1, 1949. P. w. BRISTOW' KNITTING MACHINE PATTERN MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 21, 1947 R. m M 1 1, 1949- P. w. BRISTOW KNITTING MACHINE PATTERN MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 21, 1947 IN VEN TOR. r i a 2 0w Pegyl Patented Feb. 1, 1949 r r 2 460 487 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,460,487 KNITTING MACHINE PATTERN MECHANISM Paul W. Bristow, Laconia, N. Ii, assignor to Scott & Williams, Incorporated, Laconia, N. Has a corporation of Massachusetts 7 Application April 21, 1947, Serial No. 742,905 Claims. (Cl. .6650) This invention relates to a knitting machine and lower cylinders for the formation of reverseand has particular reference to the control of ly concatenated loops. Lower and upper sliders a pattern mechanism, specifically of a pattern control the needle movements when they are in mechanism designed to operate through a numthe lower and upper cylinders, respectively, and. ber of cycles in the formation of a single stock- 5 for the purpose of needle selection the lower m sliders are subject to control of a trick wheel.

This application is in part a. continuation of which, together with its controlling devices, my application, Serial No. 635,644, filed constitutes. the subject-matter of the present ecember 18, 1945. One of the forms of the application. It will be evident that the invention invention disclosed herein has also been illu-sis of mor gener l pp i a i n for the direct contrated in the application of Lawson and Bristow, trol of needles or for the control of sliders, jacks Serial No. 728,226, filed February 13, 1947. or'other independently movable elements of a The general object of the present invention knitting machine. In the pr n 'app o he is the provision of a pattern mechanism control control of sliders and jacks will be referred to of special characteristics which will become Sp c a y f the EXPlaIIatOIY P D y apparent hereafter involving, in particular, the SO much of the knitting machines are disclosed interruption of advance of the pattern mechaas ar ssa y t h understanding of th nism during th formation of h el f sijgckings present invention and for additional components and the retirning of the patternfmechanism in th se n in machines reference y be order to insure the proper relationship of the m e o h (IO-Pending pp t o above menpattern to each stocking knit under its ggntro], tioned. Reference Will be first made 130 Figures The foregoing broad object of the invention as 1 t0 7, inclusive, which disclose an embodiment well as other bje t relating particularly t of the invention incorporated in the machine of details of construction and operation will become my p o Serial he lower apparent from the following description read in sliders are controlled in this machine to provide conjuncti n ith th accompanying drawings, selective needle movements; these sliders being in which; v I indicated at 2 and being provided with saw-tooth Figure 1 is a horizontal section showing the butt-S major portions of th pattern m ha i d To serve for the control of the lower sliders its controls 2 by action upon their butts 4 there are provided Figure 2 is perspective View showing a needle Cams 5 mounted in guiding member 3 for adial jack and am for selecting t sliding movement with respect to the lower cylin- Figure 3 is a fragmentary l ti of th der. Each of these cams is provided with a notch pattern mechanism and its controlling device: at its t r end e ga eable by an individual Figure 4 is a perspectiveview of the same; level l2 Of a Stacked p, which leVels a e Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevation of th provided with follower ends l4 engageable with the butts of elements I'Gmounted in a trick wheel same; l

Figures 6' and '7 are elevations of controlling l3, Springs e g o ur e the evers 2 in a cams for the needle selecting means; clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 1. An

Figure-81's aplan view of an alternative form of 4!) u dly projecting me er 2 car y a pattern device embodying the principles of the lever 25 urged clockwise, as viewed in Figure in ention, certain parts being in section; y a prin 25 rve un er pr p r on i i o Figure 915 fragmentary Sectional View move all of the levers l2 counterclockwise to lug various elements of the trick wheel advancing h a th s 6 o twar y irrespective of means of FigureB; I the-butts of elements I 6 which may be opera- Figure 10 is a view partly in elevation and lively related t0 their partly in section-snowmobile device'oi Figure The trick Wheel 8 a s a ratchet 28 a 8;- and y l ranged to be acted upon by a pawl in the form Figure 11 is an approximately radial section of a bar 30 having a hooked e This bar 39 showing the same device associated with a lower is pivoted at 32 t a lever 34 s r to a v n edle cylinder of superpos d cylinder tical shaft 35 which carries an arm 38 arranged machine. to be acted upon by an adjustable screw 40 car- My prior application, seri l N 635 44 ried by one arm of a bell crank 42 pivoted at 44 referred to above, discloses a knitting machine and having its other arm provided with a folof the superposed cylinder'type in which double 5 lower roller 36 arranged to be acted upon by cam ended needles may selectively knit in the upper 48 rotating with the upper needle cylinder. By

the action of this cam 46 and the connections just described, the trick wheel is advanced one step upon each rotation of the needle cylinders. A spring 55 urges the lever 34 clockwise, as viewed in Figure 1, while a light spring 52 acting on the bell crank 42 prevents disengagement of the screw 46 from the arm 38.

Overlying the pawl bar 36 is a lever 53 having a laterally extending end 54 provided with a notch 56 in which is receivable a pin 58 carried by a lever 66 pivoted coaxially with the levers l2 and having a follower end 62 arranged to be acted upon by butts 64 at one level in the trick wheel. The series of butts 64 are continuous about the trick wheel except for one break provided for the purpose of timing. A Bowden wire 55 connects the lever 56 to a push rod 66 arranged to be acted upon at proper times, through the lever 69, by cams 16, i2 and 14, carried by the main cam drum 16. (See Figure 7.)

The lever 53 is pivoted at 32 to the lever 34 and is provided with a slot 55 embracing a stud 51 threaded in the bar 36. A spring 59 connected between the end 54 and the bar 36 normally urges the lever 53 counterclockwise relative to the bar 35, as viewed in Figure 2., to a limit position in which the stud 51 is in engagement with the right hand end of the slot 55. During normal operation, the lever 53 may be regarded as integral with the bar 30.

A Bowden wire 13 connects the lever 24 with a push rod 86 which is arranged to be acted upon, through the lever 6!, by cams 82 and 84 on the cam drum '56. (See Figure 6.)

During the formation of a leg of a stocking, preceding which action the trick wheel is stationary in retirned position achieved in the fashion hereafter described, the cams 6 are controlled by the trick wheel, the pin 58 on the lever 65 being in alignment with the notch 56 so that the pawl bar 35 is-active for the purpose of advancing the trick wheel step by step on each rotation of the cylinders. By the selective action of the cams 6 on the butts 4, some of which butts are removed in the usual fashion to provide the proper selections, the needles controlled by the sliders are selectively raised to be differentiated from each other for any desired purpose, as, for example, to receive selectively wrap yarns in accordance with the disclosure of my application, Serial No. 635,644.

During the formation of the leg, the cam acts to pull the lever 66 to the full line position illustrated in Figure 1 through the Bowden wire 66 so that, pin 58 being aligned with the notch 56, the pawl bar 36 will have full racking strokes. Lever 24 is released by its Bowden wire 18 since the lever Bl which actuates plunger 80 now rides on the surface of drum 16.

During the formation of the heel, in order not to interrupt the continuity of the wrap patterns extending from the front of the leg into the instep, the trick wheel is stopped from rotation, while at the same time the cams 6 are drawn outwardly so as not to engage the saw-tooth butts of the lower sliders. The former action occurs through the action of cam 12 and plunger 63 on the Bowden wire 66, which rocks the pin 58 to the right as viewed in Figure 1 to bring it out of alignment with the notch 56 in the laterally extending end 54 of the lever 53. Even though the cam 48 continues to rock the shaft 36, the pawl is.held in, a retracted position so that it cannot move forwardly to engage the next ratchet tooth. In order to render cams 6 inactive, the lever 24 is rocked by the action of a cam 84 on plunger through the Bowden wire i8 so as to cause the upturned portion 22 of the lever 24 to engage levers f2 to pull the cams outwardly.

During the formation of the foot, cam 14 aligns pin 58 with notch 56 so that normal racking of the trick wheel continues. Cams 6 are again rendered active by release of lever 24 following passing of cam 84 beyond the follower lever controlling plunger 86.

In the formation of the toe, narrowing and widening are carried out as described above for the heel. During the formation of the toe, however, it is desirable to cause retiming of the trick wheel to set it for the beginning of the next stocking. For this purpose, while the cams 6 are again rendered inactive by the rocking of the lever 24, through the action of cam 82, the lever 66 is released by its Bowden wire 66 (by the dropping of the cam follower lever of plunger 68 off cam 14) so that, if not otherwise prevented, it could move to the left-hand dotted line position illustrated in Figure 1, so that again the pawl 36 would be rendered inoperative. This, however, is prevented by the presence of butts acting on the follower end 62 of the lever until the trick wheel turns to present to the follower a trick having a butt missing at the level of the follower end 62. At such time the pin 58 will rock to the left and, accordingly, further advance of the trick wheel will cease. The conditions so attained then prevail until the knitting of the leg of a subsequent stocking is started.

Coincidently with the beginning of the formation of the leg, the cam 10 acts to pull the lever 66 to the full line position of Figure l.

The purpose of connecting lever 53 yieldingly to bar 30, rather than making end 54 integral with bar 30, is merely to prevent jamming when racking the main cam drum by hand, which jamming might occur if roller 46 was not on earn as. In view of the yielding connection, lever 56 may be rocked by its Bowden wire even though its pin 58 is engaged in notch 56.

Figures 8 to 11, inclusive, disclose a modified mechanism embodying the invention which has been disclosed in the Lawson and Bristow application referred to above and resembles, in its basic principles, the pattern mechanism illustrated in the patent to Lawson, 2,411,795, dated November 26, 1946. In the case of this modification, the pattern mechanism controls jacks I56 provided with saw teeth and arranged to slide and also tilt in slots I54 provided in a lower needle cylinder I52 of a superposed cylinder type of machine. Through these jacks, needles are controlled for various purposes as disclosed more fully in said Lawson and Bristow application.

For the control of the saw-tooth jacks there are provided a series of cams, one for each level of the saw-tooth butts. These cams take the form of stacked slides I50 tilted to the horizontal as indicated particularly in Figure 10. Each of these slides is provided with a cam portion Hi2 which actually engages the jacks. The slides are urged inwardly toward the needle cylinder by engagement of springs I68 and H0 with projections I64 and I66 on the slides. In view of the close arrangement of the slides the projections 164 are provided on alternate slides while the projections I66 are provided on intermediate gageable bythree fingers I14 carried by slides. The springs I68 and I'll comb-like members, the prongs of which individually engage the projections. The slides are additionallyprovided with butts I72 which may be selectively broken'away. These butts are enupright shafts controlled from the'main pattern drum of the machine so that groups of the slides may be selectively drawn out of action away from the needle cylinder;

Each of the slides is provided with a projection' I16, which projections are arranged to be acted upon by the butts on the tricks I78 carried by the trick wheel I19. During the formation of the portions of a stocking in which patterning occurs the trick wheel is advanced in the formation of every course by a mechanism which will be recognized to be that of said Lawson patent. The trick wheel is secured to a gear I59. A cam I82 rotating with the needle cylinders acts upon each rotation of the cylinders upon a follower roller i84 carried by a triple arm lever I86 pivoted at I 88 to the frame of the machine. The intermediate arm 59 of this lever is provided with a hardened pad. I98 which. acts upon an adjustable follower screw E82 carried by an arm I 94 ofa yoke I95'pivoted on; a pin I98 carried by the machine frame. An adjustable screw 28% carried by arm I94 engages a portion of the frame to limit counterclockwise motion of the arm' act which is urged in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 8 by a spring I95; A second take the form of arm 202 of the yoke I 95 carries on a pivot 284 a,

lever 206 which, at one end, is provided with a gear segment 208. This same end of the lever 206 is adapted to engage an eccentric stop 2H3 which is secured in adjusted position by a screw 2I2. The other endof thelever 205 carries an adjustable screw 2! which is arranged to engage a lug 2| 5 carried by the arm 202.

The operation of the mechanism just described in. advancing the trick wheel will be clear con-v sidering as a starting position the location of the parts illustrated in Figure 8. As the lever I85 is moved counterclockwise by the cam I82 the yoke I95 is moved clockwise with the result that the teeth of the segment 208 engaged the teeth of the trick wheel gear I80. The pivot 204 is provided with: sufiicient friction, for example, by means of friction washers, so that the lever see and the arm 2H2 move as a unit in this operation. As the clockwise movement on the shaft I98 continues, the angular relationship between'the lever 206 and the arm 202 changes so that the segment 208 advances the gear I80. This action continuesuntil the stop screw 214 engages the lug 2I5 which should coincide, substantially, with the limit of movement of the lever I 85 under the action of cam I82. The cam. I82 then releases the lever I 86 and the spring I96 produces a movement counterclockwise of the yoke I 95. The lever I86 is rocked clockwise by this action,

a light spring iBI' serving. to maintain engagement between the pad I90 and the screw I92. The first event of this counterclockwise move ment of the yoke is withdrawal of the segment 208 from the gear I80. Immediately after with drawal is complete the back of the segment 2H8 engages the stop 2I0 so that the further movement of the yoke on the pin'I'98 produces a change in the angular relationship of the lever 205 to the arm 202, the back of the segment sliding along the stop 25B. Finally there is attained the position illustrated in Figure 8.

In the above described operation, the finally parts illustrated in Figscrew zocengaging the attained. position of the ure 8, i. e., with the stop frame, operation, as described above, it will advance the trick wheel through two steps by reason of its engagement with the gear I8'0 two teeth behind the location of previous engagements. In order that a particular succession of single and double steps may be imparted to the trick wheel to result in its completerotation during the occurrence of various numbers of courses of knitting, provision is made to insure either single or double steps under the control of butts carried by the patterning elements of the trick wheel. Additionally, controls are provided to interrupt the advance of the trick wheel during the formations of heels and also for the timing of the' trick wheel to bring it to an initial position during the toe formation and during the knitting of the loopers rounds. For the purpose of such controls, the following mechanisms are provided:

A- third arm 216 of the lever tea has pivoted to it at 2I8 a member 22% which is held in. fixed adjustable relationship with the lever Bit by an adjusting screw 222 and a binding screw 2'24. This member 225 is provided with an upstanding lug 226 which. is arranged to move in a slot 228 in a lever 23d pivoted to the frame at 236. The slot 228 has a pair of shoulders 230 and 232 as illustrated. When the lever 234 is in the position illustrated in Figure 9, the lug 2'26 is unimpeded in its movements, and, accordingly, complete oscillation of the lever I86 may occur, as described above, to give double step advances to the trick wheel. A Bowden wire 238 is connected to one arm of the lever 234 and is actuated through a plunger following cams on the main cam drum of the machine in. a fashion similar to that described in connection with the previous modification. A spring 248 normally urges the lever 234' in a clockwise direction to cause a pin 24 I, carried thereby, to ride on a circular edge 253 of the gear it!!! which. edge is interrupted by a notch 245.

A lever 1242 pivoted on the pin 236 and urged in. a clockwise direction by a spring 2 36 is provided with a hook 244 and with an adjustable screw 248 threaded in an upstanding car 249, which screw is arranged to be engaged by a downwardly extending portion 250 of the lowermost slide I 66, which, though adapted to be acted upon by the lowermost butts on the trick wheel, does not carry a cam portion I62 to act upon the sawtooth butts of the jacks I42.

The control of this lowermost slide by trick wheel butts provides for the positioning of the hook 244 in either of two alternative positions, either clearing the lug 225 as illustrated in Figure 9 or in the path of this lug to prevent the complete return of the lever E86 as it is released by the cam E82. When the hook 2 34 is in position to engage the lug 225, the gearsegment 2G8 is not withdrawn suificiently to engage two teeth behind the teeth previously engaged, but is withdrawn only sufiiciently to cause it, to engage one tooth behind those previously engaged. Consequently, under these conditions, the trick wheel will be advanced only a single step in each operation.

The Bowden wire 238 is normally positioned by a cam, corresponding to cam It! of Figure 7, on the main cam drum so that the pin 24! which it carries cannot drop inwardly of the edge 243. When the machine starts knitting a heel, a higher cam, corresponding to cam 12 of Figure 7, pulls the Bowden wire to bring the stop 230 in the path on the next stroke,

so locates the segment 288 that in its.

of the lug 226. This stop catches the lug on its reverse stroke and'prevents clockwise movement of the lever iBfi. Consequently, the stepping of the trick wheel is interrupted until the lever 234 is permitted to return to the position indicated in Figure 9.

During the knitting of the toe, the Bowden wire 238 is completely released, correspondin to dropping off the cam i l in Figure 7, so that the lever 234 would be free to move clockwise under the action of spring 246 if it were not for engagement of the pin 24! with the circular edge 243. This edge however, maintains the lever 234 in the condition illustrated so that trick wheel advance continues, the cam 32 being double ended so as to effect advance of the trick wheel during reciprocation. However, as soon as the notch 245 reaches the positionof the pin 24!, the pin may drop therein with the result that the shoulder 232 may engage the lug 226 and again the oscillations of the lever its are prevented. Accordingly, the trick wheel stops. While the retiming of the trick wheel may occur at any time prior to the resumption of active operation of the trick wheel, the retiming during the toe is generally desirable. When, in the formation of the next stocking, patterning is to be resumed under control of the trick wheel, a cam on the main cam drum, corresponding to cam 10 of Figure 7, pulls the Bowden wire 233 to lift the pin 2M out of the notch 245 thereby restoring the lever 234 to an inactive position so that single or double step advan-ces of the trick wheel may be resumed as determined by the position of the lever 242.

It will be evident from the foregoing that both modifications of the invention described herein have in common the characteristic of preventing the return of an advancing member which is cam operated in one direction and yieldingly operated by a spring in the opposite direction to position it for the next operation by the cam. Common also to the two modifications are the fundamental aspects of interruption of advance of a pattern mechanism during the formation of a'heel and retiming of the pattern mechanism upon the completion of patterning in one stocking preparatory to the beginning of patterning in the next stocking.

What I claim and Patent is:

1. In a knitting machine, independently movable elements, a cyclically operating pattern. device for controlling said elements, means including a periodically movable element for the stepby-step advance of said pattern device, means for positively .moving the last mentioned element in one direction periodically, yielding return means for the last mentioned element, and a member movable to a plurality of alternative positions in which it is located in the path of said periodically movable element to prevent its return and 5:0 interrupt advance of said pattern device.

'2. In aknitting machine, independently movable elements, a cyclically operating pattern device for controlling said elements, means including a periodically movable element for the stepby-step advance of said pattern device, means for positively moving the last mentioned element in one direction periodically, yielding return means for the last mentioned element, a member movable to a plurality of alternative positions in which it is located in the path of said periodically resire to protect by Letters movable element to prevent its return and so interrupt advance of said pattern device, and means, including a pattern means other than said pattern device for controlling movement of said member to one of said alternative positions.

3. In a knitting machine, independently movable elements, a cyclically operating pattern device for controlling said elements, means including a periodically movable element for the stepby-step advance of said pattern device, means for positively moving the last mentioned element in one direction periodically, yielding return means for the last mentioned element, a member movable to a plurality of alternative positions in which it is located in the path of said periodically movable element to prevent its return and so interrupt advance of said pattern device, and. means moving with said pattern device for controlling mcvement of said member to one of said alternative positions to interrupt advance of said pattern device when the pattern device reaches a predetermined position.

4. in a knitting machine, independently movable elements, a cyclically operating pattern device for controlling said elements,-means including a periodically movable element for the stepby-step advance of said pattern device, means for positively moving the last mentioned element in one direction periodically, yielding return means for the last mentioned element, a member movable to a plurality of alternative positions in which it is located in the path of said periodically movable element to prevent its return and so interrupt advance of said pattern device, means, including a pattern means other than said pattern device, for controlling movement of said member to one of said alternative positions, and means moving with said pattern device for controlling movement of said member to another of said alternative positions to interrupt advance of said pattern device when the pattern device reaches a predetermined position.

5. In a knitting machine, independently movable elements, a cyclically operating pattern device for controlling said elements, means including a periodically movable element for the stepby-step advance of said pattern device, means for positively moving the last mentioned element in one direction periodically, yielding return means for the last mentioned element, a member movable to a plurality of alternative positions in which it is located in the path .of said periodically movable element to prevent its return and so interrupt advance of said pattern device, means, including a pattern means other than said pattern device, for controlling movement of said member to one of said alternative positions, and means jointly controlled by said pattern means and said pattern device for controlling movement of said member to another of said alternative positions to interrupt advance of said pattern device when the pattern device reaches a predetermined position.

. PAUL W. BRISTOW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

